VITAL INFO - Alternative TB TEST! (blood test)

ASK FOR THIS TEST instead of getting the PPD or other TB test! (PPD has TB

in it and can be just as dangerous as a vaccine - I know several children

who regressed back into autism after receiving a TB test)

From one of my students.....

"They just draw a tube of blood, which I have no problem with. No ppd. I've

got an email in to my Kaiser dr. asking for this. If they don't do it or

the cost is prohibitive,

the SF health dept. does it for $13"

Sheri

* The QFT-G should be used in all settings in which the TST is

currently used, including contact investigations, evaluation of recent

immigrants with BCG vaccination, and TB screening of healthcare providers.

* Advantages of the QFT-G vs the TST include specificity for

individuals with a history of BCG vaccine and convenience of

administration. Data on the sensitivity of the QFT-G for children,

immunocompromised individuals, and its ability to predict disease

progression are needed.

Tuberculosis Testing - What is the QuantiFERON-TB Test?

From Stacey Lloyd,Your Guide to Lung Diseases.

Tuberculosis Testing Choices

In 2001, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the tuberculosis

test called QuantiFERON-TB (QFT). This tuberculosis test measures the

release of interferon-gamma (IFN-g) in whole blood in response to

stimulation of the purified protein derivative from M. tuberculosis. In

laymen's terms, the QFT tuberculosis test measures a person's immune

reactivity to Mycobacterium tuberculosis, the bacterium that causes

tuberculosis.

How Does the QFT Tuberculosis Test Work?

A blood sample is drawn from the patient. The blood is mixed with antigens

- the protein substances that produce an immune response - and controls.

The antigens include tuberculin, which is purified protein derivative (PPD)

from M. tuberculosis, and avian sensitin, which is purified protein

derivative from My avium complex. Then the blood is incubated for 16 to 24

hours.

At the end of the incubation period, the QFT tuberculosis test is read. If

the patient tests positive for tuberculosis, i.e. the patient is infected

with M. tuberculosis, the blood cells would have released a larger

proportion of IFN-g in response to the tuberculin than that released in

response to the avian sensitin or the controls. However, in order to

confirm or exclude a tuberculosis diagnosis, additional testing, such as a

chest x-ray, is required. (Read What You Need to Know Before Getting A

Chest X-Ray)

Advantages of QFT Tuberculosis Test

# Only one doctor visit is required

# The test assesses responses to multiple antigens simultaneously

# Eliminates the concern of the booster phenomenon as seen with the PPD

tuberculosis skin test

# Reduced risk of testing interpretation errors and bias

Disadvantages of QFT Tuberculosis Test

# Time limit (12 hours) for testing of the drawn blood

# Limited knowledge and experience with QFT tuberculosis test

# The QFT's ability to predict the progression of tuberculosis infection to

tuberculosis disease has not been evaluated

# Additional testing required to confirm or exclude tuberculosis diagnosis

Source: CDC

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Fact Sheets

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QuantiFERON®-TB Gold Test

What is it?

The QuantiFERON®-TB Gold test (QFT-G) is a whole-blood test for use as an

aid in diagnosing Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection, including latent

tuberculosis infection (LTBI) and tuberculosis (TB) disease. This test was

approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 2005.

How does it work?

Blood samples are mixed with antigens (substances that can produce an

immune response) and controls. For QFT-G, the antigens include mixtures of

synthetic peptides representing two M. tuberculosis proteins, ESAT-6 and

CFP-10. After incubation of the blood with antigens for 16 to 24 hours, the

amount of interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma) is measured.

If the patient is infected with M. tuberculosis, their white blood cells

will release IFN-gamma in response to contact with the TB antigens. The

QFT-G results are based on the amount of IFN-gamma that is released in

response to the antigens.

Clinical evaluation and additional tests (such as a chest radiograph,

sputum smear, and culture) are needed to confirm the diagnosis of LTBI or

TB disease.

What are the advantages?

* Requires a single patient visit to draw a blood sample.

* Results can be available within 24 hours.

* Does not boost responses measured by subsequent tests, which can

happen with tuberculin skin tests (TST).

* Is not subject to reader bias that can occur with TST.

* Is not affected by prior BCG (bacille Calmette-Guérin) vaccination.

What are the disadvantages and limitations?

* Blood samples must be processed within 12 hours after collection

while white blood cells are still viable.

* There are limited data on the use of QFT-G in children younger than

17 years of age, among persons recently exposed to M. tuberculosis, and in

immunocompromised persons (e.g., impaired immune function caused by HIV

infection or acquired immunodeficiency syndrome [AIDS], current treatment

with immunosuppressive drugs, selected hematological disorders, specific

malignancies, diabetes, silicosis, and chronic renal failure).

* Errors in collecting or transporting blood specimens or in running

and interpreting the assay can decrease the accuracy of QFT-G.

* Limited data on the use of QFT-G to determine who is at risk for

developing TB disease.

When should you use the test?

QFT-G can be used in all circumstances in which the tuberculin skin test

(TST) is currently used, including contact investigations, evaluation of

recent immigrants who have had BCG vaccination, and TB screening of health

care workers and others undergoing serial evaluation for M. tuberculosis.

However, caution should be used when testing certain populations because of

limited data in the use of QFT-G.

Before the QFT-G is conducted, arrangements should be made with a qualified

laboratory and courier service, if needed, to ensure prompt and proper

processing of blood.

What are the steps in administering the test?

* Confirm arrangements for testing in a qualified laboratory and

arrange for delivery of the blood sample in time for the laboratory to

initiate testing within 12 hours of blood collection.

* Draw a sample of whole blood from patient into a tube with heparin

anti-clotting agent, according to manufacturer’s instructions.

* Schedule an appointment for the patient to receive test results and,

if then needed, medical evaluation and possible treatment for TB disease or

LTBI.

How do you interpret test results?

Interpretation of QFT-G results is based on IFN-gamma concentrations in

test samples. Each QFT-G result and its interpretation should be considered

in conjunction with other epidemiological, historical, physical, and

diagnostic findings.

A positive result suggests that M. tuberculosis infection is likely; a

negative result suggests that infection is unlikely; and indeterminate

result suggests QFT-G results cannot be interpreted as a result of low

mitogen response or high background response.

A diagnosis of LTBI requires that TB disease be excluded by medical

evaluation, which should include checking for signs and symptoms suggestive

of TB disease, a chest radiograph, and, when indicated, examination of

sputum or other clinical samples for the presence of M. tuberculosis.

Additional Information

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Guidelines for the

investigation of contacts of persons with infectious tuberculosis and

Guidelines for using the QuantiFERON®-TB Gold test for detecting

Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection, United States. MMWR

2005; 54 (No. RR-15).

(PDF)

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Guidelines for Preventing the

Transmission of Mycobacterium tuberculosis in Health-Care Settings, 2005.

MMWR 2005; 54 (No.RR-17).

(PDF)

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of a disability, please contact us in writing or via telephone and we will

work with you to make the information available.

Division of Tuberculosis Elimination

Attn: Content Manager, DTBE Web site

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

1600 Clifton Rd., NE Mailstop E-10

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(404) 639-8135

E-mail:

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ds=15729888&dopt=Abstract

1: Kekkaku. 2004 Nov;79(11):637-43. Related Articles, Links

[Usefulness of a novel diagnostic method of tuberculosis infection,

QuantiFERON TB-2G, in an outbreak of tuberculosis]

[Article in Japanese]

Harada N, Mori T, Shishido S, Higuchi K, Sekiya Y.

Immunology Division, Research Institute of Tuberculosis, JATA, Tokyo,

Japan.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to evaluate QuantiFERON TB-2G

(QFT), a novel method of detecting tuberculosis infection among contacts of

a tuberculosis patient by determining the whole-blood interferongamma

response to the specific antigens. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: A teacher of a

college who had been coughing for the preceding two months was diagnosed

with smear-positive tuberculosis. About 270 students of the college were

considered to have been exposed to tuberculosis infection, of whom 73 were

in closer contact with the index case because they participated in a

one-week group excursion attended by the teacher. Two of the contact

students developed active tuberculosis shortly thereafter. Tuberculin tests

were conducted to almost all students, and QFT was performed for only those

with tuberculin reactions having erythema diameters of 30 mm or larger.

RESULTS: Tuberculin tests of students, all of whom had been vaccinated with

BCG at least once, revealed that the distribution of the close contact

group was slightly shifted to right (larger side) than those with less

close contacts. The QFT positive rate for close contacts was 45.5%, while

that for less close contacts was only 7.1%, which obviously indicates that

QFT is hardly affected by the tuberculin allergy due to past BCG

vaccination. The distribution of interferon-gamma measurements

(log-transformed) of the close contacts showed typical bimodality, one mode

representing the infected, another the non-infected. This was not clear for

the less close contacts. The correlation of interferon-gamma measurements

(log-transformed) with tuberculin reaction erythema size was weak, if not

non-significant. CONCLUSION: It was concluded that QFT was a useful method

for diagnosing tuberculosis infection and was unaffected by the BCG-caused

tuberculin allergy. In the case of the outbreak mentioned above, QFT

greatly reduced the indication of chemoprophylaxis, from 28% of all the

contacts solely based on tuberculin test to only 7%. Although there remains

some problems to be overcome for QFT to be widely used with high

confidence, this technology will provide a high possibility for wider and

more accurate indication of chemoprophylaxis and will be one of the

essential tools of tuberculosis control of the 21st century in Japan.

PMID: 15729888 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

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CDC Issues Guidelines on Use of QuantiFERON TB Gold Test CME

News Author: Laurie Barclay, MD

Dec. 22, 2005 — The QuantiFERON TB Gold test (QFT-G) essentially can be

used in all cases in which the tuberculosis skin test is currently used,

according to new guidelines released by the US Centers for Disease Control

and Prevention (CDC) and published in the Dec. 16 issue of the Morbidity

and Mortality Weekly Report: Recommendations and Reports. These guidelines

are intended for public health officials, healthcare providers, and

laboratory workers with responsibility for TB control activities in the

United States.

"On May 2, 2005, a new in vitro test, QuantiFERON-TB Gold (QFT-G, Cellestis

Limited, Carnegie, Victoria, Australia), received final approval from the

U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) as an aid for diagnosing

Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection," write Gerald H. Mazurek, MD, and

colleagues from the Division of Tuberculosis Elimination, National Center

for HIV, STD, and TB Prevention. "This test detects the release of

interferon-gamma (IFN-?) in fresh heparinized whole blood from sensitized

persons when it is incubated with mixtures of synthetic peptides

representing two proteins present in M. tuberculosis: early secretory

antigenic target–6 (ESAT-6) and culture filtrate protein–10 (CFP-10). These

antigens impart greater specificity than is possible with tests using

purified protein derivative [PPD] as the tuberculosis (TB) antigen."

Direct comparisons have shown that the sensitivity of QFT-G was not

statistically different from that of the tuberculin skin test (TST) for

detecting infection in people with untreated culture-confirmed TB.

Currently, the diagnostic value of QFT-G for finding latent TB infection

(LTBI) is being evaluated in certain populations targeted by TB control

programs in the United States. To date, the ability of this test to predict

who will eventually have TB disease is unknown, and years of observational

research in large cohorts would be needed to determine this.

In July 2005, the CDC organized a meeting of experts to review scientific

evidence and clinical experience with QFT-G. This group concluded that

QFT-G may be used in all circumstances in which the TST is now used,

including contact investigations, evaluation of recent immigrants, and

sequential-testing surveillance programs for infection control, such as

those for healthcare workers. The CDC guidelines also list specific

cautions for interpreting negative QFT-G results in selected subgroups

populations and provide interim guidance for use and interpretation of QFT-G.

"Confirming or excluding TB disease and assessing the probability of LTBI

require a combination of epidemiologic, historic, physical, and diagnostic

findings that should be considered when interpreting QFT-G results," the

authors write. "This report is intended to assist public health officials,

clinicians, and laboratorians in their efforts to understand the use of

QFT-G for TB control."

The FDA approved QFT-G as an in vitro laboratory test to assist in the

diagnosis of both TB disease and LTBI, both in clinical and in public

health settings, ideally in concert with the local or regional public

health TB control program. Instructions for the QFT-G assay are in the

package insert, and QFT-G test results can be calculated by using software

provided by the manufacturer. The guidelines also include a table for

interpreting test results. Laboratory reports should include interpretation

of QFT-G test results and indicate the concentration of IFN-? in each

plasma sample.

Although some limitations of QFT-G appear to be similar to those of the

TST, they have not been studied extensively to date. In persons with

untreated, culture-confirmed TB, the sensitivity of QFT-G for detecting M.

tuberculosis infection is approximately 80% in published studies, but the

sensitivity in specific subgroups of TB patients, such as young children

and immunocompromised patients, is still unknown. For LTBI, QFT-G

sensitivity might be less than that of the TST, but the lack of a

confirmatory test makes this difficult to evaluate. Estimating the

sensitivity of any indirect test for LTBI by testing patients with TB

disease might be inaccurate because of differences between these

conditions, and the ability of QFT-G to predict risk for LTBI progressing

to TB disease is still undetermined.

Like the TST, QFT-G cannot distinguish infection associated with TB disease

from LTBI. For definitive diagnosis of LTBI, TB disease must be ruled out

by medical evaluation, which should include ascertaining history of

suggestive symptoms and signs, chest x-ray, and examination of sputum or

other clinical samples for M. tuberculosis when indicated. As for other

diagnostic tests, the prevalence of M. tuberculosis infection in the

population being tested affects the predictive value of QFT-G results.

"Each QFT-G result and its interpretation should be considered in

conjunction with other epidemiologic, historic, physical, and diagnostic

findings," the guidelines note. "As with a negative TST result, negative

QFT-G results should not be used alone to exclude M. tuberculosis infection

in persons with symptoms or signs suggestive of TB disease. The presence of

symptoms or signs suggestive of TB disease increases the likelihood that M.

tuberculosis infection is present, and these circumstances decrease the

predictive value of a negative QFT-G or TST result."

Symptomatic individuals should have a medical evaluation including history

and physical examination, chest x-ray, bacteriologic studies, serology for

HIV, and other tests as indicated.

The sensitivity and rate of indeterminate results using QFT-G has not been

determined in immunocompromised persons with HIV infection, AIDS, current

treatment with immunosuppressive drugs, selected hematologic disorders, and

certain malignancies. These conditions or treatments are known or suspected

to decrease responsiveness to the TST, and they might also decrease

production of IFN-? in the QFT-G assay. As with a negative TST result,

negative QFT-G results alone might be insufficient to exclude M.

tuberculosis infection in these persons.

Practical limitations of the QFT-G include the need for venipuncture and

for transporting the 5-mL blood sample to a qualified laboratory in time

for testing.

"QFT-G can be used in all circumstances in which the TST is used, including

contact investigations, evaluation of recent immigrants who have had BCG

[Bacille Calmette-Guérin] vaccination, and TB screening of health-care

workers and others undergoing serial evaluation for M. tuberculosis

infection," the authors write. "QFT-G usually can be used in place of (and

not in addition to) the TST. A positive QFT-G result should prompt the same

public health and medical interventions as a positive TST result."

The guidelines note that there is no reason to follow a positive QFT-G

result with a TST; instead, those with a positive QFT-G result, regardless

of their symptoms or findings, should be evaluated for TB disease before

LTBI is diagnosed. HIV counseling, testing, and referral is also

recommended because HIV infection increases the suspicion for TB and the

urgency for treating LTBI. Once TB has been ruled out, treatment of LTBI

should be considered.

"For persons with recent contact with persons who have infectious TB,

negative QFT-G results should be confirmed with a repeat test performed 8 -

10 weeks after the end of exposure, as is recommended for a negative TST

result," the authors conclude. "Studies to determine the best time to

retest contacts with negative QFT-G results have not been reported. Until

more information is available, the timing of QFT-G testing should be the

same as that used for the TST."

MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep. 2005;54(RR- 15):49-55